Hello, I would appreciate some advice as GP is not being helpful. Since 2011 my health has declined and I eventually got a diagnosis of subclinical hypothyroidism. Here is my treatment journey/results since March 2014.

March 2014 - I had many of the symptoms (fatigue, brain fog, aching arms, sensitivity to cold, hair loss, insomnia, sinus problems, can't lose weight, allergies, sensitive to noise etc). I am 43 year old woman.

Blood results (which do not solely relate to thyroid, lab ranges and comments):

At this time I was placed on 100mg Levothryoxine. I saw a kinesiologist and supplemented with:

Multivitamins

Omega 3

Omega 6

Hemaplex

Probiotic

Beta Glucan Immune Complex

Quercetin

Milk Thistle

Magnesuim

I stopped eating gluten, dairy and sugar (except Agarve) and soya. I have not eaten meat for 25 years.

After taking T4 my energy levels increased, brain fog lifted and the ache in my arms disappeared but the other symptoms continued.

On the 6th May, I was re-tested as follows:

Thyroid peroxidase antibody levels 313IU

Serum TSH level level 0.060 mU/L 0.27 - 4.20mU/L

Serum free T4 28.4 pmol/L 12.00 - 22.00pmol/L

My Levothyroxine was reduced to 50mg

On 23 June I was tested:

Full blood count - Normal

Serum Vitamin B12 404pg/mL 180.00 - 900.00pg/mL

Serum folate >20.0 ug/L 4.40 - 20.00ug/L

Serum TSH level 0.95mU/L 0.27 - 4.20mU/L

My hair continues to fall out, I feel sensitive to the cold/noise, dry skin, can't lose weight. My GP has said "we have reached the end of the road with your thyroid" and when I argued for testing for T3 she screwed up her nose and replied "well it depends on if you believe all the stuff you read." I pushed for a referral to see an endrocrinologist. My GP has said she would do this, and added "what happens normally depends on what I write in the referral so don't get your hopes up." With all this in mind I am thinking of going private. Hypthothyroidism, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes and gall bladder problems run in my family. I have also struggled with stress over the years. I am wondering if I have Hashimoto's, am aware I need to get T3 free and perhaps reverse T3 checked and adrenals. Any other advice or comments on my results or next steps would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

14 Replies

It's the same old, old story which is now very familiar on this forum. The mis-treatment of patients with thyroid gland dysfunctions and instead of recovering their health they get worse. It's mainly due to the fixation with the TSH (which I believe they don't know is variable throughout the day) and make their decisions only on the TSH result and not listening to their patients. Do they ask 'how are you feeling' and taking account of patients clinical symptoms and adjusting medications to that instead of blood tests.

This is a link and this is how treatment used to be carried out. I think you will find the second question informative. Other topics at the top of the page may be of interest.

email louise.warvill@thyroiduk.org and there may be an Endocrinologist near you or a private doctor. It would be worth a journey to see someone sympathetic.

Your B12 is a bit low but you can supplement with vitamin B12, methylcobalamin, sublingual or spray so it bypasses your stomach. We should aim towards the upper end but cannot overdose as excess is excreted.

This is another link and go to date November 25, 2002 re low dose meds as I noticed you've been reduced to 50mcg.

Thank you for your messages. I have the list from Louise and am in the process of thinking about who to contact. I am a bit confused whether I should see a private Endo or doctor. I have read the first article - wish I was equipped with that when I saw my GP, I would have left it on her desk!

I'm not a Dr but reckon you do have Autoimmune Thyroditis or commonly known as Hashimoto's. My TPO Abs were >600 but I was started on 50mcg of Levo, when I got to 100mcg of Levo things seemed to go from bad to worse. I decided to take NDT which I feel suits me better and currently on 3 grains. My Dr is aware and gives me 6 weekly blood tests.

Hair loss is first and biggest indication of low ferritin lvls, yours maybe not so bad , but your folate lvls are above the range, you may have some methylation issues, because of vegetarian food you are clogged with folic acid that is not so good thing so your methylation is bad , hence the hair loss, and all other symptoms of slow metabolism......if i were you i would dropp vegetarian lifestyle..and gelatine, is just one great source of collagen and proteins that are not found in red meet, and organic pls only .......

Soy is goitrogen so its really bad and can cause antibodies this high, so you must drop it, this is worse then gluten

Your ferritin is woefully low and thus giving you levothyroxine is getting you nowhere fast in terms of symptomss management because your body cannot convert the t4 into t3

As for not eating meat that is a part of your problem and has likely given rise to low ferritin and low b12

Your GP is totally ignorant too

TSH and T4 tests are total rubbish where your concerned right now and your probably toxic with t4

you need to push that ferritin up with iron plus a heavy dose of vitamin C like at least 500mg

Because you have been stressed i suggest 2000 g of Vit C plus liquorice tincture and vitamin B complex last thing at night

If i was in your shoes i would stop taking levothyroxine and get either T3 or NDT

If you have money to throw around by all means find a sympathetic doctor but until your ferritin improves nothing much will shift and it does take many months as my daughter and grandaughter and husband will attest

I'm not a doctor. It looks to me you do have Hashimoto's. The antibodies, there are a few, not only 2, but generally 2 tested only. Hypo symptom is hair loss too but other things can bring it on, even supplements that you did not take earlier. May 6 did you feel better than on June next blood test? your TSH was lower, you have to remember your symptoms. Possible that if you were not diagnosed for some time you exhausted your adrenal glands. Watch the multivitamin. I took one multi for few months and my calcium serum was so high at 11.1 that when I stopped the multi it went down right away, it only had 200mg.